The new torture articles and Chimp's G8 Comments PROVE Chimp did it!

[John_H]

The pictures as clear as the air down in Crawford, folks. Chimpo said OK to the torture, and he's going to blame it on his lawyers.

When he was asked if he approved torture, Chimp wouldn't say, "I would never even think of it and I'm offended at the question." He didn't say, "No, I didn't." he didn't even say "I don't recall." He would only repeat the same odd little sentence, "I told them to follow the law."

That's the only thing he could say because Chimp did OK torture and he knows it's going to come out. In other words, what Chimp really said was, "Yes I did OK the torture. But when I told them to do it, I was following the law. My Lawyers told me I was, at least. See, they're my lawyers and I got to follow their advice."

Today, we got the whole memo from the Post, and sho 'nough it says Chimp can torture the shit out of anyone he damn well pleases with the official stamp of the Justice Department.

Then we get the Telegraph article that says somebody, probably 60 min., has the goods on senior officials. You know, people who take orders directly from the president.

Chimp knows he's next, knows if he lies about it it's going to be worse than if he tells the sort-of-truth like he did at the G8.

What We have to do is keep the media on this. They've got all their chips cast with Bushco and they're going to give him every opportunity to wriggle out of it. We've got to keep the pressure on.

[shraby]

1. Not only that, if Rummy

okayed it, he would have cleared it with his boss first. Who's his boss? Three guesses and the first two don't count.

[msmcghee]

2. Sixty Minutes is going to need a . .

Sixty Minutes III, IV, V and VI to keep up. When is enough enough?

Why doesn't he just get a blowjob from Asscroft in the oval office so we can get this over with?

:eyes:

[beachman]

3. no way they hang this on Bush

Doesn't work that way. Rumsfield or someone will be fired, and Bush will appoint some new people. heck, maybe Powell will be the new VP nominee, but presidents don't get stuck with stuff like that.

Of course, Bush may be over-confident, and if he doesn't hang someone out to dry, it might cling to him, but there is always an Oliver North out there, and truthfully, I doubt they asked Bush's permission.

That may not have sounded like I meant it hence the edit here.

[John_H]

4. He may not have a way out

The legal point of the memo is based on the assumption that they had to "ask his permission" because only the commander in chief could get around the law. The legal argument absolutely DEPENDS on the fact that the CIC is making the decision, otherwise the legal strategy doesn't work.

The purpose of the DOJ's General Council's memo was to give the commander in chief legal advice on a decision he, and he alone, had to make. It's not like an Iran Contra or Watergate scandal in which you can say, "so and so was acting alone without authority." If the president wasn't contemplating a decision as commander in chief, why ask the governments chief legal council to address the legality of the commander in chief ordering torure? If Rummy were making the final decision, why set up disaster by asking the DOJ and the WH council to weigh in. The answer is you don't.

Pinning it on Rummy also begs the question: Is it really believable that decision of this magnitude would be made without the permission of the president?

If it comes out that Chimp made a decision along the lines discussed in the memo "I just took my lawyers advice as all good presidents do," is his only defense.

[progressivebydesign]

5. He HAD to know.. here's why!

The memo, which Ashcroft is keeping from us, features language that exempts torture as long as it is used under authority of the duties as "COMMANDER IN CHIEF". According the Justice Department, the troops could ignore the various treaties, etc... as long as it was at the direction of the COMMANDER IN CHIEF in his duties, as it pertains to the eradication of terror. The reason Ashcroft is peeing his pants, is that he KNOWS that memo PROVES that BUSH KNEW!!! How many fucking times is the Bush/Cheney crime family going to get away with stonewalling? First the energy policy, then the 9/11 Commission, now this... When is someone on either side of the aisle going to kick some ass and take some names?? Hmmmm???

[John_H]

7. Absolutely right, and it's even worse (for chimp) as described in post 4

[Stephanie]

6. We got the memo?

Where is the memo?

Any surprises?

[nostamj]

8. WSJ posted it

and, according to TPM, you didn't have to subscribe to download it.

PDF IIRC.

[John_H]

10. link

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38894-2004Jun13.html

[Cocoa]

9. Ashcroft's testimony suggests the same thing

Bush and Ashcroft have nearly confessed that Bush was dying to find a way to torture people.